This proposed MESA (Michigan En San Antonio) Center for Health Disparities is a collaboration between the University of Michigan School of Nursing (UM-SN), a research intensive university, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing (UTHSCSA-SN), a designated Hispanic Serving Institution. The focus of this collaboration will be the elimination of disparities in health promotion and restoration. This proposal builds on a collaborative project between funded through the NINR and NCHMD initiative """"""""Building Capacity for Nursing Research Health Disparities"""""""". The name MESA in Spanish means table, and is a metaphor for """"""""bringing ideas to the table"""""""" for meaningful exchange and sharing. Successes in both research collaboration and mentoring relationships and will be the foundation of the proposed Center. The major aims will be to increase each institutions' resources to support an increase in investigators and research related to health disparities research and to enhance the competence of all researchers to conduct health disparities research. The primary mechanisms to address these aims will be collaborative research projects, apprenticeship opportunities for students and faculty, and the development of web-enhanced modules to support knowledge and skill development in health disparities research. ? ?
